Automobile manufacturers have stored the spare tire and wheel assembly, hereinafter referred to as the spare tire, of an automobile on the floor at the rear of the trunk so that the easily accessible space at the front of the trunk could be used for storage of other items. Because the rear of the trunk may be difficult to reach and/or because a tire is quite cumbersome, it is difficult for many people, particularly older people and women, to move a spare tire from the stored position to the front of the trunk where it can be handled easily from outside the vehicle. Additionally, it is difficult for these people to lift a spare tire from the floor of the trunk and to reposit a spare tire.
A number of devices have been designed to reduce the effort required to move a spare tire from the relatively inaccessible stored position at the rear of a trunk to an accessible position at the front of the trunk and to reduce the effort required to lift a spare tire from the floor of the trunk. Typically, these devices utilize a tray which supports a spare tire and which slides on rails or guides between the front and rear of the trunk. Examples of such devices may be seen in the following citations. U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,829 discloses a spare tire carrier having an elevated tray mounted on parallel guide rails which are supported above the floor of a vehicle trunk. With this device the spare tire can be moved between the front and rear of the trunk and the tire is elevated such that it does not have to be lifted from the floor of the trunk. Because of the heavy cantilevered load on the guide rails which occurs when the tray is at the front of the trunk, the guide rails and the structure which supports the rails must be quite massive and heavy. Additionally, this structure requires a vertical support under the tray which support blocks access to a portion of the trunk beneath the tray. A tire carrier having a tray which is mounted on a plurality of telescoping sections which sections ride on guide rails is shown by Lundgren (U.S. Pat. No. 2,547,083). The telescoping sections have heavy frames to accommodate the cantilevered load which occurs when the spare tire is moved to the front of the trunk. U.S. Pat. No. 2,091,071 disclosed a spare tire carrier having upper and lower trays. An extensive framework is mounted in the trunk of the vehicle to guide rollers mounted on the bottom of the trays. Two additional spare tire carriers which utilize movable trays can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,014,019 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,019,069. The carriers shown in both of these citations require a complex framework to support the movable trays.
One major shortcoming of all of the spare tire carriers shown in the citations is that a relatively complex installation must be accomplished. Additionally, the carriers that have cantilevered trays require relatively heavy frames and support members. These frames and support members occupy significant amounts of trunk space and cannot be removed easily in the event it becomes necessary to use the space occupied by the tire carrier.
It is desirable to provide a carrier for moving a spare tire for an automobile from a stored position at the rear of the trunk to an accessible position at the front of the trunk which can be installed easily, which is lightweight, which lifts the spare tire above the floor of the trunk, which can be removed easily from the trunk and which occupies little trunk space.